[Text Only] Let’s Play: Pokémon Platinum [Nuzlocke Challenge] – Part 13

Ok, it’s a new day and time for more Pokémon! I did train off the trainers of Route 214 and there was not too much to report. I took a stop at the Ruin Maniac’s cave to pick up TM 28 Dig but I ran into a Geodude there and that counts for my encounter in the Ruin Maniac Cave. I was hoping for a Hippopotas but what can you do? I also picked up a few more items like a Magarizer and Razor Fang and the best bit of news is that my Eevee evolved into Umbreon just like I had hoped for (only took grinding it to Lv. 37 while holding a Soothe Bell at 1:30 AM to do it too! Took it long enough….). That said before I shut the game off for the night, I took a detour to Valor Lakefront were I run into another Biberal as my first encounter. I don’t catch it and I prepare to head for bed.

Now that the sun is up, I’m done with school, finished dinner, listening to the Japanese Theme songs of the Pokemon anime (my friend told me to do so to get me in the mood…. don’t ask…) I’m ready to make the long trek to Pastoria City and back around to Hearthome before departing for Canalave City. So let’s do this…. LEROY JENKINS!!!!!!! Sorry… couldn’t resist.

First thing to do now is to explore the Valor Lakefront Hotel area and see what I can find. The main thing you’ll see is that a man is blocking the path to the left saying that a storm knocked down some cables and crews are working to fix them. That will come into play much later. Near here I find a lady who dropped the key to her suite near the next of the hotel lot. I pick it up and give it back to her and she rewards me with the White Flute. If I’m correct this item can makes wild Pokémon less likely to appear… *checks to make sure I’m right* Hey! I’m right =P Now it’s time to do some training with the Pokémon trainers at the Hotel’s restaurant… this may take awhile.

*15 minutes and a phone call later*

            Well, that was easy enough and I was even able to pick up TM92 Trick Room from a clown as a reward. After healing I make my way to Route 213, the route just before Pastoria. Now to be honest there really was not anything of note to worry about on Route 213. It is so short it barely stands out. However, I did find a hidden Heart Scale, TM 40 Aerial Ace, and a few hidden Pearls I can sell for a lot of Poké. I did however run into a Buizel but before I could catch it I got a critical hit off on it while trying to weaken it for capture. So onto Pastoria City!

            Ah Pastoria City, the great city of Sinnoh’s south, filled with swamplands, marshes, and of course the next gym. But first I decide to take a detour and visit the Pastoria Great Marsh which is the home of several Pokemon. I decide to go up to the Marsh’s Observation Tower to see what Pokémon are more common to find today. I find that today’s most common Pokemon is Yanma, a flying/bug type. I decide to take a chance and see what I come across in the Great Marsh. I feel like I could work with most of these Pokemon but more so Yanma, Croagunk, and Skorupi. Tangela would be ok too but it would be more of a defense backup for Roselia if he goes down. As long as I DO NOT get a Bibarel… or Wooper… So, I pay the front desk of the Great Marsh and head on inside. Unfortunately… to my dismay… the Great Marsh is not so kind and gives me a Wooper. I catch it with little to no problem and decide to name her “Woopette” (requested by Kevin) and exit the Marsh wishing I could have gotten something much better…

                I decide to go off to Route 212 for a minute or two and try my luck there for a new team member. Really hoping for a Croagunk or a Kirlia but again… anything but Wooper or Biberal! I get another Shellos… not too excited by this but I’ll keep him in mind for later. I name him Puddin’ (the first Shellos we picked up was named Jello… get it? Jello Puddin’ XP) where he can hang out with the other Shellos I have. Back in Pastoria, I learn a bit more about the Great Marsh from the locals and how it maintains the Pokemon ecosystem. I also find a Team Galactic grunt hiding out near the Marsh (again not suspicious) but I leave him be for now. With not much to do (except buy some more items and pick up a few free berries) I decide to go to the gym. But a certain “Luxray murderer” decides to show up before I can enter and challenges me to a battle. It’s time to pay him back for what his Grotle did to Luxray…

            He starts out with his Lv. 34 Staravia and I go with Porygon2. Little does he know I have a nasty surprise for this Pokemon. Staravia uses Double Team to make sure my attacks don’t hit. That’s a fatal move. Porygon2 used Shock Wave! Yes, I got rid of Signal Beam for and electric move that never misses… Shock Wave. I figured that most water types in the next gym will have some Ice type moves that will destroy Roselia, so I needed an electric type move to retaliate with. Back to the battle, after Staravia goes down, he sends out his Lv. 32 Ponyta. I switch into Empoleon while it tries to lower my defense with “Tail Whip”. Ha! Good luck. After Ponyta’s “Growl” attack lowers my defense I go for “Brine” and defeat Ponyta easily. Then he sends IT out. His Lv. 36 Grotle (should be a Torterra since it evolves into that at Lv. 32). Revenge time! Go out there Umbreon and avenge Luxray. After using Bite over and over again and causing Grotle to flinch not once but 3 times, I defeat Grotle and avenge the fallen Luxray. Finally he sends out Buizel and I fight back with Roselia since it’s a good match up. After 1 Giga Drain I destroy the Buizel with one move and that is that. Battle over! Barry then freaks out about losing and runs off to train. Though he does say something about wanting this gym leader to be his mentor and wanting his own theme song… (what?). That said, time for the Pastoria City gym trainers.

            After a bit of work, I defeat the trainers of the gym and head back to heal. After figuring out the puzzle of the gym yet again, I know it is time to face Crasher Wake the water type Gym Leader of Pastoria City.

[Toshiba] Porygon2 (Normal) Lv. 39

~Pysbeam ~Shock Wave ~Magnet Rise ~Recover

[Bud] Roselia (Grass/Poison) Lv. 39

~Toxic ~Magical Leaf ~Giga Drain ~Leech Seed

[Karen] Empoleon (Water/Steel) Lv. 38

~Aqua Jet ~Bubblebeam ~Metal Claw ~Brine

[Eon] Umbreon (Dark) Lv. 38

~Bite ~Quick Attack ~Sand Attack ~Baton Pass

That in mind, let us face the gym leader! He starts the fight with his Gyarados (a Lv. 33 Water/Flying type) while I go into Porygon2. He is faster and uses Waterfall on me which does some nice damage but he also makes Porygon2 flinch, missing a turn. Another Waterfall, and then I get off the Shock Wave. Since Gyarados is x4 weak to Electric moves he dies in one shot. Then he does something unexpected… instead of switching to his Quagsire like he ALWAYS does, he goes into his star Pokemon; Floatzel (Lv. 37 Water type). I know this thing has Ice Fang so I must keep Roselia away from this thing. I heal up Porygon2 3 times thanks to Floatzel getting a critical hit. After a few Brines and Crunch attacks from Floatzel I finally get Shock Wave off with Porgon2 and destroy it with one hit! Funny enough, Porygon2 gets to Lv. 40 and learns Discharge, a far better move than Shock Wave, so I realize I wasted a TM and teach him the move. Now comes in Quagsire his Lv. 34 Water/Ground type. Electric attacks will do absolutely nothing to a part Ground type so in comes Roselia which takes a Mud Shot attack like a champ. I use Giga Drain and since Quagsire has a x4 weakness to Grass, it goes down in one shot and Crash Wake loses the fight! I earn the Fen Badge and TM55 Brine (a water move that I have on Empoleon so I’ll pass right now).

            I go to heal up my Pokémon when I run into Barry. Thankfully he does not want to fight (even so, my Pokémon took minimal damage so I could have taken him) and just wants to see Crasher Wake about training with him. But he is smart and declines his offer and says he has what it takes to be strong on his own (so I guess that part was a lie..). Then Barry says something he should have said MUCH sooner. He said the Galactic grunt I saw earlier was muttering something about using a bomb on the Great Marsh. Wake runs off to stop the grunt and defend his town with Barry and I close behind him. We catch up to Wake but it’s too late… BOOOOM! The city shakes and the Galactic grunt runs out of the Marsh. Wake corners him and forces him to tell him what he knew. He goes on about the “Galactic” Bomb which they will be using for something soon. He runs off, Wake goes in to help the Pokémon in danger while Barry keeps guard preventing anyone else from going into the Marsh and getting hurt. This leaves me to track down the grunt and stop him. One the way I find Looker who is also hot on the trail of the same grunt, looking for information about the Galactic Bomb. He runs after the grunt and I follow behind. Looker interviews the people at the Valor Lakefront hotel for info while I find the grunt hiding at Route 213 to the north of the hotels. He says he must deliver another bomb to Lake Valor and that I must not get in their boss’ way of making a new universe. I defeat the grunt with little effort and he runs off. I have a feeling the troubles with Team Galactic are just about to begin… After the grunt runs off, Cynthia comes up behind me and asks me what I know about the lake and it’s folklore. She says that there are Pokémon that are said to be guardians of the 3 Lakes of Sinnoh and the region itself. In the middle of her speech, Barry comes along and wonders where the grunt went. Noticing Cynthia he asks if she is my sister, then tells me the Marsh is ok despite having a freaking BOMB go off inside of it, and then leaves. Cynthia makes a comment about how he seems very “energetic” (a nice way of saying he’s a hyperactive monkey). She then asks if I’ve seen the Psyducks on Route 210 and since I have she proceeds to ask if I could give them a “SecretPotion”. Apparently the Psyducks have constant headaches and they have been standing there for so long immobilized by pain. She says the potion will help and then leaves me to take care of the situation. So, now I believe that will do it for now and next time we will go take care of Route 212 and find a new Pokemon (hopefully) at the Fuego Ironworks before heading north to the Psyduck. Until then, thanks for reading!

In memory of… nobody… no one died in this part! YES! First time in like 5 or 6 parts…